1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to terminal or edge clips for attachment to contact pads on a circuit-bearing board and, more particularly, relates to a strip of such clips supported together in pre-determined position for subsequent attachment to a circuit-bearing board.
2. Prior Art
Many different configurations and arrangements are known in the art for terminal strips, including an arrangement wherein an elongate, continuous support bar is molded around the bodies of a plurality of terminal or edge clips after the clips are manufactured. Also known are such arrangements wherein the support bar is snapped around the bodies of the clips after they are manufactured to support a plurality of the clips in a strip for subsequent attachment to a circuit element.
Typically, a terminal strip is comprised of a plurality of clips carried by a carrier strip or rail at one end thereof and formed integrally with the clips during the manufacturing process. Some applications, however, make use of an interconnect or stand-off carried by the bodies of the clips between the ends thereof so that the ends may be joined to the different circuit elements. For instance, such a strip of interconnected terminals may be used to join circuit components in telephone construction. These constructions typically utilize the subsequently molded or snap-on interconnect or stand-off as noted previously.
Such prior art constructions and methods, however, require that the terminals first be manufactured in a stamping process and subsequently be subjected to a further manufacturing process wherein the interconnect is molded to the clips or snapped thereto, as the case may be. Such an approach is time consuming and costly.